Roots
by WP
Summary: This is a new series of mine. Going back to the begining for me and the show.
1. Default Chapter

A/N: Ok, This is a NEW SERIES. Nothing to do with the rest. It's a start over. So set before something Wicca. And there is no Phoebe. Its just an AU. Hope you like it. Let me know.  
  
  
  
  
Roots  
  
  
Part 1  
  
  
iAnd I spent Christmas in a detox ward, I wish I had an Airport...  
Someday...Cause somedays are just so hard/i  
  
  
Getting out of the cab I stare up at the Manor that i've spend so much of my life in. Loving, Hating Regreting, Hurting, Healing and right back to Hating again.   
  
I consider getting back in the cab and leaving but then I realise it's already gone, leaving me to either stand in the darkness and rain or walk the green mile to the door.  
  
I think this may be the most self destructive thing I've ever done... and believe me that pretty bad.  
  
I beg for the safety of routine, I was used to for the past few months. Incarceration isn't all that bad when it gives you a simple life.  
  
Walking up the steps now... What awaits behind the door is just too much.   
  
Ok.. rung the door bell, that's a step right? Now maybe I should run away.  
  
Damn to late... I don't think Piper know's its me.   
  
"Uh... Hi." I say with a nervous laugh.  
  
My big sister looked me up and down in utter disgust. "I'm not giving you anything so you can leave right now." She said coldly as she began to shut the door.   
  
God, she hates me so much.   
  
Finding my voice replied, "I don't want money, Piper."  
  
Her jaw is still set, why can't she look me in the eye?   
  
"Shouldn't you be in some sleezy bar... or are you already wasted?" She asked signaling to my drenched and mudded clothes.  
  
I didn't even notice. Good one me.  
  
"I was... I went to see mom."  
  
Her eyes flickered, the ice queen act faltering.  
  
"Piper, who is it?!" I reconised the voice of Prue.   
  
Piper threw me a look of daggers, "It's no one."  
  
Prue opened the door further to see me.  
  
"I thought you weren't getting here till tomorrow." She then took in my appearence. "Why aren't you inside? You'll catch your death out there."  
  
I took one look at the seething Piper and came up with the idea, "Maybe I should just come back tomorrow."  
  
"No, this is your home too, Paige." I managed to smile at that.  
  
Prue practically had to pull Piper out of the way so I could enter. This was so awkward.  
  
"Where's your stuff?" Prue asked while Piper stood with her arms crossed glaring at me.  
  
I knew my cheeks were red now, "I-I... don't really have anything."  
  
Prue gave me a comforting smile, "come on. I'll give you something to change into. You must be freezing."  
  
She grabbd my hand then turned back to Piper and quietly added, "Get rid of the attitude." Thinking I hadn't heard.  
  
When we got upstairs she stopped and looked me over. I closed my eyes when I felt her hands on my face. I missed her so much. How could I have given up after all the love they've should me?  
  
"Look at you, you're skin and bones. A few weeks of Piper's cooking should fix that up." She said trying to look on the bright side. I knew her too well though. I could hear the emotion in her voice.  
  
"That whole liquid diet thing sure knocked off the pounds." Why did have to make these assang comments!  
  
"Ok, why don't you go in for a shower and I'll leave you some clothes out."   
  
I nodded, "Thanks Prue."  
  
She just smiled and me and left. 


	2. Part 2

A/N: KT, I lubb u scotlum! And everyone else who's nice enough to say all those good things, thanks. Yeah, so they don't have powers... yet. It will come in the next couple of parts. Oh yeah and the medical parts and rehab. I don't really know about so if someone does and there thnking thats so wrong i'm sorry. ok, enjoy.  
bPart 2iAnd I know it hurts  
But you're just getting older  
And I know you'll win  
You'll do it once again/i  
I came down stairs, freshly dressed in Prue's Pj's. Comfy wear. A hell of a lot more comfortable than I feel.   
  
Walking into the living room Prue gave me smile greeting. I don't know why but I'm thankful for it. Piper was brooding in the arm chair. I just want her too shout at me or hit me and get it over with.  
  
"There's some tea for you."  
  
"Thank you." I said to Prue before taking it in my hands, letting it heat me up.  
  
"So, did the clinic let you out early? I was going to go pick you up at 11."  
  
Yeah, but why was she going to do that?   
  
"Why did you tell them that I could come here?" I asked more bluntly than I'd like.  
  
"Ungrateful as ever." Piper added under her breath.  
  
"I didn't mean it that way but you know what Piper? I would expect Prue to be acting like you." I told her.   
  
She gave me another chilling look, "you deserve it."  
  
"Yeah, I really do." It's about time I was truthful with them.  
  
She didn't have any snidy comeback for that.   
  
Prue sat forward, her blue eyes fixed on me. "Paige, you're my baby sister and from the second you were born I knew I had to look out for you just like I had to Piper. We may have fought when we were teenagers but it didn't mean I stopped loving you, and when you made some bad choices and we all done somethings we're not proud of I refuse to turn my back on you." She looked at our middle sister. "And as much as Piper won't admit it right now she cares just as much as me."  
  
I tore my eyes from the intense Prue and looked at Piper who was now staring at her hands. Maybe she did care. She was always the soft one but maybe I left her hating me.  
  
"I messed up so bad and I'd give anything to take it all back. The fighting and us falling apart." I said while trying to hold by the lump in my throat.   
  
I spent months getting over my guilt yet here it was, back again in force.  
  
Prue then continued, "the doctors at the clinic told me what happened after the last fight."  
  
Great she knew. "Well, when you hit the bottom your forced to face up to things." I started biting my lip. Always do when I'm nervous or you know, plain terrified.  
  
Piper looked up and to my surprise they weren't full of hatred or loathing but tears.   
  
"Why don't I know any of this?" She asked with such weakness in her voice I wanted to die right there.  
  
Prue spoke up thankfully, I don't think I could have. "It doesn't matter, Piper, but you can find out now... If you're ready."  
  
Piper's eyes still avoided me as she nodded.  
  
Prue then gave me a reassuring look. That I should start.   
  
But what was there to say? I became an alcoholic because my Dad was a no show, my mum died when I was a week old and my grandmother had just died. I've done that. Blamed on the past.   
  
The past my sisters lived through just fine.   
  
Maybe I should go for the, I felt like an outcast 'cause I had a different dad but that's possibly the crappiest lie in this world.   
  
Or that I was such a bitch to them. That I drank all the money I could find because of them. But again... that's just not true.  
  
"Where do I start?" My voice is very shakey and unsure.   
  
"After the fight." Answered Piper's equally as distressed voice.  
  
I swallowed hard. We were about to jump in at the deep end.  
  
"I went out on a two day binge and decided I couldn't keep living... at all. So... I took a bunch of pa... pain killers. I uh... picked a party to do this though, so someone found me and called an ambulance. Three days of a continual hang over."  
  
"Why did you never call us?" Prue asked with a look of curiousity on her face.  
  
"Would you have cared?" I realised how calous that sounded and moved on quickly. "Plus... I was out of it the entire time. Possibly the reason I agreed to go into Rehab."  
  
Prue pushed further. "But why not then? You were there for a while Paige, why not call us, tell us... something."   
  
"Because I couldn't handle rejection. It took me until a few weeks ago to even contemplate talking to one of you."   
  
I could see Prue holding herelf back. It was a pointles arguement.   
  
"Well, why did it take so long for the clinic to call?"   
  
"They wouldn't because I never wanted them too and they had no obligation to until they let me go. They make sure you have somewhere to go."  
  
Everyone went silent but it wasn't that 'oh god my mouth won't say anything' silence, rather the 'let's all take a moment to process this.'  
  
"You're 20, you're meant to be in college not a recovering alcoholic." Piper said with a mix of sadness and bitterness in her voice.   
  
Well, the night's pain just increased. "Out of sight, Out of mind, huh?" I said fidgiting with the cousion.  
  
She just stared at me confused.   
  
"I'm 21, Piper." Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow.  
  
She stood up and began to walk away. "I can't do this."  
  
Standing up I emotionally let out, "No, you do not get to walk away."  
  
Prue seemed to back me up, "She's right Piper. We have to talk about this sometime."  
  
Piper turnd around, her face was red her eyes were soaked with tears and in that second I forgot about it all. She was my big sister and I just wanted to hug her and make the crying stop.  
  
"Talk about how much of a mess this family is? Talk about how bad a sister I am?! Or maybe the fact that we're all strangers to each other?!"  
  
She raised such a good point but... We were family and we always had been so we couldn't be so far apart.  
  
"You're Piper Halliwell, 25, great chef, a sappy romantic who's the most loving person I've ever known. You're favourite movie is sleepless in seattle and you hate it when Prue makes the coffee. You're the one who let me sleep with you when I missed mom or I was scared and you're the shy girl I stuck up for all through school." I spewed out.   
  
Taking a breath I found myself filling the silence again. "I'm still Paige Halliwell... I just screwed up and I pay for it everyday but I haven't had a personality change. I've grown up but you're still my sister and if I hadn't of told myself that everyday I don't know where I'd be."  
  
I'm sure she made some noise, about to speak and then she turned and walked away. It was a horrible feeling. Like your hope and you're praying just kicked you in the stomach and left you to stew in your own sadness.  
  
I let myself sink into the couch and burried my face in one of the pillow's. I promised myelf I wouldn't come home and use the sobbing technique to get back in there lifes so I held it back.   
  
I felt a hand on my back. I forgot about Prue she must have been pretty to shocked to stay silent all that time.  
  
She kneeled down and kissed my head. "It'll be ok." She whispered before getting up and leaving. Probably to talk to Piper.  
  
God, I could use a drink. 


	3. Part 3

A/N: So I think this could be the end of this story. But I'll start the next one a.s.a.p Hope u like it.  
Part 3  
Just yesterday  
It always seemed like such a dream  
We're unstoppable, indestructable  
Nothing happens to our machine  
  
And there's no harm  
At least nothing I can see  
As for you, not so true  
You couldn't choose where his road would lead  
I lost track of how long I lay with my head burried in the pillow.   
  
I just let myself space out and disconnect. Something I learned from drying out.  
  
I remember when Glenn, my first love, and I broke up. I lay in exact same position, crying my eyes out like the homonal teenager I was. And Piper came through with this sickly choclate ice cream and a shoulder to lean on while I cursed boys and swore to join a nunery.  
  
She's always the one who would sit there and let you talk, give you the hug you needed. Prue is more the action girl. I thouht she was going to rip Glenn's head off.   
  
Which is why I'm so shocked by this situation. I'd expect Prue to be screaming blue murder at me and Piper to be in the middle, trying to stop any fighting.  
  
I must have hurt her so much to make her act this way.   
  
God, I'm such a horrible person...  
  
Maybe I could leave now, stop screwing in their life's.  
  
Ugh, shut up, Paige. I just need to show them I am really sorry, that I'm not that self destructive bitch anymore.  
  
I heard footsteps and someone kneeling infront of me.   
  
I hoped it was Piper but as I raised my head it was Prue with a sympathetic look on her face.  
  
"She just needs some time." She told me.  
  
I didn't say anything. I held her gaze though, I think that said enough.  
  
I knew I felt guilty rather than sad. But guilt is terrible. Weigh's heavier on your heart than any other emotion.  
  
That whole, 'I'm not gonna cry' thing seemed to run out the door.   
  
Everything that happened was just a blur. I felt everything fall apart and then next thing I know Prue has her arms around me, rocking me like she used to.  
  
I'm grateful for the comfort. I never realised but I haven't been held in so long. Probably since the last time I broke down in front of Prue.  
  
I realised I was clinging onto her shirt for dear life. And I didn't let go.   
  
Slowly my cries eased and eventually my breathing returned to normal but Prue still sat there, letting me lean against her.  
  
I got the feeling Prue had missed this as much as me. She gave no sign of letting me go.   
  
I hurt her too.  
  
I was always Prue's weak spot. she was my main carer.   
  
Grams was great, she done so much for us but she was away a lot. And... I guess our bond as sisters was just closer.  
  
There were times that Prue and I were at each other's throats. She was my big sister and she was loving but she had to be the authority in my life too.   
  
I didn't understand that then but now I just appreciate her more.  
  
Prue sotly asked "You ok, kid?" I almost smiled at that. She used to torment me by calling me kid.  
  
I nodded. "Tha--"  
  
She cut me off, "Shh, it's what I'm here for."  
  
Again I found myself nodding and not moving. Thankfully Prue didn't either. Just sat there, both enjoying the comfort.  
  
I was beginning to feel human again. Emotions, good and bad were a plus and I hadn't run out to the nearest off license at the first sign of confrontation.  
  
I felt a warm hand on my head and couldn't move with shock.   
  
Prue's hands were always cold... so that meant it was Piper.   
  
As I opened my eyes, I was blinded by light.   
  
Squinting, I made out the figure of Piper standing behind the sofa.  
  
As the light disappeared we all looked at each other in confusion.   
  
"Must have been an electricity surge." Prue said as she gave my shoulder a squeeze then stood up.  
  
Both Piper and I nodded awkwardly before she spoke up.  
  
"Um... I thought you might be hungry. I could make you pasta?" She said still avoiding my eyes. I was just as bad.  
  
"That'd be... uh... only if it's not too much trouble." I stumbled.  
  
She looked me in the eye then. "It's not." She gave a hint of a smile then headed ino the kitchen.  
  
Prue gave me a playful shove to follow with a grin on her face.  
  
I'm glad. The one thing I missed more than Prue and Piper was Piper's cooking. 


End file.
